The Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing down. Even with the pandemic changing the way we consume our films, the MCU has remained as solid as a rock (despite the rather negative response to Chloé Zhao’s Eternals which now has the dishonour of being the lowest rated film in the universe, after beating out Thor: The Dark World’s Rotten Tomatoes score.
Nevertheless, after months of rumours and hiding away from spoilers, Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally hit cinemas. Can Tom Holland’s third solo outing as the web-slinger live up to its incredible hype?
With Spider-Man’s identity now revealed following the events of Spider-Man: Far From Home, our friendly neighbourhood web-slinger is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life as Peter Parker from the high stakes of being a superhero. When Peter asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
Not since Avengers: Infinity War has a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had so much to deliver. The hype surrounding this instalment has been immense, and I’m pleased to say it delivers on all fronts.
From a casting perspective, we already know that Marvel films get it absolutely spot on (generally speaking). Holland has developed into a fantastic iteration of Peter Parker and his teenage immaturity continues to be a highlight that is exploited throughout the script here. His best pal, Ned (Jacob Batalan) and gf MJ (Zendaya) also return to the series, but the former is a little underused – a shame, as his chemistry with Holland is what made the first two films so endearing.
Benedict Cumberbatch takes over from Robert Downey Jr with the “adopted father” figure and continues to command the screen. It’s true that the film clumsily dispenses with him once the script has set-up the main story threads, but his presence certainly makes me want to see more from the well-dressed wizard.
Where Spider-Man: Homecoming and Far From Home saw Peter at school and had a young, fresh and happy-go-lucky quality – No Way Home is much, much darker than what we’ve seen before. In a similar way that Infinity War and Endgame added some much-needed grit to this universe, No Way Home continues that grit.
The action is filmed well, though the CGI sometimes struggles to keep up with everything that’s happening on screen.
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Don’t worry, the humour is still very much there, but there are some truly poignant and desperately upsetting moments here that show that Holland’s character’s teenage immaturity might be fading away as he progresses through the MCU.
When it comes to villains, there’s no denying it, No Way Home is impressive. Thankfully, director Jon Watts doesn’t commit the sins of some other Spider-Man films, bringing back villains we already know, and love. This means that no time is wasted on lengthy origins or pointless exposition.
Alfred Molina (Doc Oc), Willem Dafoe (Green Goblin), Rhys Ifans (Lizard), Jamie Foxx (Electro) and Thomas Haden Church (Sandman) all return, but it’s Dafoe where the film really shines. I had all but forgotten how much fun can be had when Dafoe’s Green Goblin is on screen – he is absolutely fantastic.
So, No Way Home is beautifully filmed, packed with action, has great performances, some cracking surprises and really emotional moments. Is there anything wrong with it? Well, it outstays its welcome by a good 10-15 minutes. Yes, there’s a lot of ground to cover here, but at nearly 150 minutes, it is far too long.
Overall, Spider-Man: No Way Home delivers, and then some. The film offers more of what fans love about Holland’s era of the web-slinger, while introducing new and exciting elements that are sure to set up this and the next phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s a must watch, and a cracking return to form for a flagging MCU.
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